Browse 6,486 peer-reviewed studies on electromagnetic field health effects from 4 research libraries.
Showing 518 studies (Human Studies) from Powerwatch EMF Bibliography
Unknown authors · 2010
Japanese researchers studied children living near power lines and found those exposed to magnetic fields above 0.4 microTesla had increased brain tumor risk. The study controlled for other factors and found the association couldn't be explained by chance or study design flaws. This adds to growing evidence linking power-frequency EMF exposure to childhood brain cancers.
Unknown authors · 2010
German researchers studied over 4,400 children to see if parents' workplace exposure to power line frequency magnetic fields before conception increased childhood cancer risk. They found no increased cancer risk in children whose fathers or mothers were occupationally exposed to magnetic fields above 0.2 microTesla. This large population study suggests parental workplace EMF exposure doesn't appear to raise childhood cancer rates.
Unknown authors · 2010
Researchers studied healthy sperm donors who wore magnetic field meters to track daily exposure. Men with higher magnetic field exposure (above 1.6 milligauss) had double the risk of poor sperm motility and shape. The longer the exposure duration above this threshold, the greater the risk of sperm problems.
Unknown authors · 2010
Italian researchers studied 64 children with blood cancers near high-voltage power lines from 1986-2007, comparing them to matched healthy controls. Children living in areas with magnetic field exposure above 0.1 microTesla showed 3.2 times higher leukemia risk, though the small sample size made results statistically uncertain. The study adds to evidence suggesting power line EMF may increase childhood leukemia risk.
Unknown authors · 2010
Iranian researchers studied 300 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and found they lived significantly closer to high voltage power lines than healthy children. Living within 600 meters of power lines increased leukemia risk by 161%, with higher voltage lines showing greater risk. This adds to growing evidence linking power line proximity to childhood blood cancers.
Unknown authors · 2010
UCLA researchers analyzed 30 years of data linking power line magnetic fields to childhood leukemia, testing different mathematical models to understand the relationship. They found the commonly assumed threshold effect (no risk below 0.3-0.4 μT, constant risk above) doesn't fit the data well, with more complex dose-response patterns showing better statistical fit. This challenges how we interpret EMF health risks and could improve public health calculations.
Unknown authors · 2010
Researchers examined birth records from over 700,000 babies in Montreal and Quebec to determine if living within 400 meters of power transmission lines affected pregnancy outcomes. They found no association between proximity to transmission lines and preterm birth, low birth weight, or infant sex, and actually found a slight reduction in small-for-gestational-age births at certain distances.
Unknown authors · 2010
This 2010 analysis reexamined data from a major UK study linking power line proximity to childhood leukemia. Using refined magnetic field calculations instead of simple distance measurements, researchers found an odds ratio of 2.0 for children in the highest exposure group (0.4 microTesla or above versus below 0.1). The refined estimate was not statistically significant (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.18-22.04), while the earlier distance-based analysis had found a significantly elevated risk close to power lines.
Unknown authors · 2010
This large UK study examined whether magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines increase childhood cancer risk by analyzing nearly 29,000 children born between 1962-1995. Researchers found a 14% increased risk of leukemia for each 0.2 μT increase in magnetic field exposure, though this wasn't statistically significant. The findings align with other studies suggesting power line proximity may increase childhood leukemia risk.
Unknown authors · 2010
Swedish researchers studied 9,508 twins to examine whether workplace exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields increases dementia risk. They found that workers with medium and high EMF exposure had nearly double the dementia risk, but only for early-onset cases (before age 75) and manual laborers. Overall dementia rates showed no significant association with EMF exposure.
Unknown authors · 2010
This 2010 analysis examined whether power line magnetic fields pose enough childhood leukemia risk to justify precautionary public health measures beyond current safety guidelines. Researchers applied established risk assessment criteria and found that while the evidence isn't definitive, low-cost interventions to reduce children's exposure are warranted given the potential severity of the health outcome.
Unknown authors · 2010
French researchers studied 221 brain tumor patients and 442 healthy controls to examine whether electromagnetic field exposure from power lines and workplace sources increases brain tumor risk. They found that occupational EMF exposure increased meningioma risk by 202%, with the strongest association for extremely low frequency fields. Living within 100 meters of power lines also nearly tripled meningioma risk, though this finding wasn't statistically significant.
Unknown authors · 2010
Italian researchers measured magnetic field exposure levels for railway engine drivers working on seven different train models during regular service routes. They found average exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields was 1-2 microtesla, with occasional hotspots near wiring reaching tens of microtesla. This occupational study provides baseline data for understanding EMF exposure in the railway industry.
Unknown authors · 2010
Norwegian Navy researchers measured radiofrequency radiation exposure on small patrol boats where crew work very close to high-powered antennas and radar systems. They developed methods to calculate total EMF exposure doses for different crew positions to enable future health studies. This represents one of the few attempts to quantify actual RF exposure levels in military settings rather than relying on crude estimates.
Unknown authors · 2010
Researchers analyzed brain tumor rates and cell phone subscription data across 19 U.S. states from 2000-2007. They found a strong correlation between higher cell phone usage and increased brain tumor incidence, even after accounting for population size, income, and age differences between states. The linear relationship remained statistically significant and independent of other factors.
Unknown authors · 2010
This 2010 review analyzed epidemiological studies on long-term mobile phone use and cancer risk. The research found significant increases in brain tumors, parotid gland tumors, and other cancers among people using mobile phones for over 10 years, with risk increases ranging from 30% to 510%. The study also identified elevated cancer rates in populations living near cell phone base stations.
Unknown authors · 2010
The COSMOS study is tracking 250,000 mobile phone users across five European countries for 25+ years to investigate long-term health effects from radiofrequency radiation exposure. This prospective design collects both questionnaire data and objective usage records from network operators before diseases develop. The study represents the largest long-term investigation into whether extended mobile phone use increases cancer risk or causes other health problems.
Unknown authors · 2010
Researchers compared two different methods for measuring radiofrequency radiation exposure safety limits in the 1-10 GHz range using computer models of adult and child heads. They found that the traditional SAR measurement works better at lower frequencies (1-3 GHz), while incident power density is more appropriate at higher frequencies (6-10 GHz), leading to a recommendation for switching measurement methods at 6 GHz.
Divan H et al et al. · 2010
Researchers analyzed 28,745 children from the Danish National Birth Cohort and found that children exposed to cell phones both before birth (through mother's use) and after birth had 50% higher odds of behavioral problems at age 7. This large-scale study replicated earlier findings, showing the association persists even when accounting for multiple other factors that could influence child behavior.
Unknown authors · 2010
This 2010 study re-examined data from the major Interphone study to reassess brain tumor (glioma) risks from mobile phone use. The re-analysis found increased glioma risk associated with cell phone use, contrasting with the original Interphone conclusions that downplayed health risks. This demonstrates how different analytical approaches can reveal health effects that industry-influenced studies may obscure.
Yildirim MS, Yildirim A, Zamani AG, Okudan N. · 2010
Researchers examined blood samples from people living near cell phone towers to look for genetic damage markers (micronucleus frequency and chromosomal aberrations) that could indicate cancer risk. They found no statistically significant differences between people living near towers and control groups. The study concluded that cell phone base stations do not produce important cancer-causing genetic changes.
Röösli M, Frei P, Mohler E, Hug K · 2010
Researchers reviewed 17 studies examining whether cell phone towers cause health symptoms in people living nearby. They found that well-designed laboratory studies showed no connection between tower radiation and acute symptoms, while studies with less precise measurement methods were more likely to report effects. The review concluded there's strong evidence that cell tower radiation up to 10 volts per meter doesn't cause immediate symptoms, but insufficient data exists on long-term health effects.
Redmayne M, Inyang I, Dimitriadis C, Benke G, Abramson MJ · 2010
Researchers studied the relationship between cordless phone and mobile phone use among 317 Australian teenagers. They found that students who used mobile phones frequently also tended to use cordless phones frequently, creating a statistically significant positive relationship (r = 0.38) between the two types of radiofrequency exposure. This matters because most health studies only measure mobile phone exposure while ignoring cordless phones, potentially underestimating people's total RF radiation exposure.
Kowalczuk C et al. · 2010
Researchers tested whether living cells and tissues can act like radio receivers that convert cell phone frequency signals (883 MHz) into other frequencies. They exposed over 500 samples of human and animal cells and tissues to radiofrequency energy and looked for signs that the biological material was converting the signal. No consistent signal conversion was detected, indicating that living tissue does not demodulate RF energy the way electronic devices do.
The INTERPHONE Study Group. · 2010
Researchers studied brain tumor risk in over 5,000 people across 13 countries, comparing mobile phone users to non-users. They found no overall increased risk of brain tumors from mobile phone use, but did see a 40% higher risk of glioma (a type of brain cancer) in the heaviest users who reported over 1,640 hours of cumulative call time. However, the researchers noted that recall bias and other methodological issues prevent drawing firm conclusions about causation.